Reciprocating aerosol toothbrush with self-sealing elastic valve means



March 29, 1966 J. J. PETERS RECIPROCATING AEROSOL TOOTHBRUSH WITHSELF-SEALING ELASTIC VALVE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1964 53 N11. we m J n m J March 29, 1966 J. J. PETERS' 3,242,928

RECIPROCATING AEROSOL TOOTHBRUSH WITH SELF-SEALING ELASTIC VALVE MEANSFiled Jan. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR.

John J Peier BY QM,

United States Patent RECIPROCATING AEROSOL TOOTHBRUSH WITH Thisinvention relates to novel and useful improvements in aerosoltoothbrushes.

A variety of aerosol toothbrushes are described in the literature. None,however, are as commercially practicable or as simple in operation asthe aerosol toothbrush of this invention. The aerosol toothbrush of thisinvention is inexpensive to manufacture and lends itself to both highlydesirable throwaway usage as well as to re-use by substituting new forspent cartridges.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide novel aerosoltoothbrushes of simple and inexpensive construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple,inexpensive throw-away aerosol toothbrush.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an aerosol toothbrushhaving a toothbrush head movable with respect to an aerosol cartridge inwhich an elastic valve member serves both to open and sealingly closethe aerosol cartridge and to restore the toothbrush head to a positionin which said cartridge is sealingly closed by said elastic valvemember.

Also within the purview of this invention is the provision of a novelaerosol toothbrush in which a toothbrush head and an aerosol cartridgeare movable toward and away from each other to a predetermined limitedextent and in which said toothbrush head defines means for engaging anelastic valve member which normally sealingly closes said aerosolcartridge and for unseating and stretching or tensioning said elasticvalve member thereby to provide communication between said cartridge andsaid toothbrush head and in which the resiliency of said elastic valvemember tends to restore'it to said sealingly closed position and to movesaid head away from said cartridge.

So also is it an object of this invention to provide an aerosoltoothbrush having a toothbrush head and an aerosol cartridge in which anelastic valve member normally closes said aerosol cartridge and in whichmeans in said toothbrush head are provided to unseat and stretch saidelastic valve member to provide communication between said cartridge andsaid head in which the resiliency of said elastic valve member tends torestore itself to a seated position and to return said head to aninoperative position and wherein said cartridge serves as a majorportion of the toothbrush handle.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent fromthe following description and drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of anaerosol toothbrush of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1;

there shown.

3,242,928 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 "ice FIG. 4 is a perspective view ofthe elastic valve member of FIG. 2 in its undeformed state;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 5;and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side sectional view showing a modifiedmeans for permitting reciprocation of the cartridge and toothbrush headwith respect to each other.

Referring first to the preferred embodiment of this inventionillustrated in one form there-of in FIGS. 1 to 4, a throw-awaytoothbrush 1 which is intended to be used until its cartridge is emptiedand then thrown away is Toothbrush 1 comprises a plastic toothbrush head10 and an aerosol cartridge 12 secured to each other by connecting means14.

Toothbrush head 10 comprises a generally flat head in which tufts ofbristles 16 are anchored in any suitable conventional manner. Thecartridge end of head 10 terminates in a valve operator means 18 adaptedto operate the cartridge valve in a manner to be described. The valveoperator means 18 is generally cylindrical in shape. The very end of thevalve operator means defines one or more rectangular notches 20 as bestseen in FIG. 3. It is through notch 20 that dentrifrice will ultimatelypass into the elongated axial passage 22 defined by toothbrush head 10.Passage 22 extends substantially the entire length of head 10 andcommunicates at one end with the discharge end of the cartridge 12 andat the other end with a plurality of transverse head end openings 24 inthe toothbrush head which open adjacent the bases of the tufts ofbristles 16. It is through openings 24 that the dentifrice is ultimatelydelivered to the bristles for use in brushing.

Aerosol cartridge 12 is charged with any suitable aerosol propellant anda predetermined quantity of dentifirice. The propellant and theviscosity and composition of the dentifrice are adjusted to facilitatethe flow of the dentifrice from the cartridge through passage 22 to thevicinity of the bristles 16. The cartridge has a closed end 26 and adischarge end 28. The discharge end is provided with a discharge openingwhich is normally closed by an elastic valve member 32. Valve member 32is displacable from its normally closed, sealing relationship to thedischarge opening to permit communication between the interior of thecartridge 12 and passage 22.

As shown, elastic valve member 32 is fabricated from a suitably elasticresilient stretchable material such as synthetic or natural rubber orother material having similar elasticity and properties of resilientstretchability. Valve member 32 in its undeformed condition is generallyfiat and circular in shape and comprises a centrally located dome 34 anda peripheral bead 36 connected by a web 38 having a plurality ofopenings 40 spaced both from the dome 34 and from peripheral head 36.

Valve member 32 is fixed in a predetermined position in cartridge 12 bymeans for gripping peripheral bead 36. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4that means includes a generally transverse annular cartridge end flange42 and a valve operator receiving member 44. Member 44 comprises agenerally cylindrical dome-engaging flange 46, a

tapered connector segment 48, an annular shoulderStl and an outwardlyextending peripheral flange 52. It is between cartridge end flange 42and shoulder 50 and peripheral flange 52 that peripheral bead 36 issealingly squeezed and held. Since the distance between the inside edgeof flange 42 and the intersection of shoulder St and peripheral flange52 is substantially lesss than the diameter of head 36, head 36 isfirmly held by those members.

That relationship of flange 42 and valve operator receiving member 44 ismaintained in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 by connecting means 14. Asshown, connecting means 14 at its cartridge end closely conforms to thecontour of the cartridge itself. Thus the connecting means includes acrimped segment 54 closely conforming to the annular neck 56 of thecartridge and a tapered terminal segment 58 closely adjacent thecartridge shoulder 60. The connecting means, forwardly of erimpedsegment 54, comprises a cylindrical segment 62 terminating in aninwardly extending annular flange 64. Flange 64 cooperates with shoulder50 and flanges 42 and 52 to grip firmly and to hold peripheral bead 36in place even when the valve member is stretched in the manner to bedescribed.

At its toothbrush head end, and extending forwardly from its annularflange 64, connecting means 14 comprises asleeve segment 66. Thisclosely conforms to the external configuration of the toothbrush headportio'n'it circumscribes but is spaced sufficiently therefrom so thathead and cartridge 12 are easily moved and reciprocated toward and awayfrom each other within a limited and predetermined range. To that endtoothbrush head is provided with at least two elongated depressions 68which are adapted to receive complementary dimples 70 formed in sleevesegment 66. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, dimples 70 'do not completely filldepressions 68 so that toothbrush head 10 and cartridge 12 may be movedtoward and away from each other by an amount limited by the longitudinalextent of depressions In its normally sealed condition, cartridge 12 issealed by engagement between the edge of cylindrical flange 46 andelastic valve member 32. The edge of flange 46 contacts'valve member 32at the outer periphery of dome 34 and in'the normally closed sealedcondition stretches elastic valve member 32 sufficiently to effect asealing relationship between those two members. The peripheral bead 36of valve member 32 is retained in the manner previously described.

When a discharge of dentifrice into passage 22 is desired, toothbrushhead 10 and aerosol cartridge '12 are reciprocated toward each other tothe extent permitted by cooperating depressions 68 and dimples 70. Asthey are movedtoward each other the valve operator means 18 slideswithin cylindrical flange 46. The outside diameter of valve operatormeans 18 and the outside diameter of cylindrical flange 46 aresubstantially identical so that when dentifrice is discharged it willpreferentially pass through passage 22 rather than between valveoperator means18 and flange 46. The fit, however, must not be sotightthatthe'frictional forces to be overcome are too greatfor valve 32-toreturn toothbrush head to its sealed closed position.

As the valve operator means moves inwardly of cylindrical flange 46 itcontacts dome 34 of elastic valve member 32, gradually unseating anddisplacing it. The extent to which valve member 32 will be tensioned andstretched, hence moved inwardly of cartridge 12, depends upon thelongitudinal extent of depressions 68. The inward thrust of operatormeans 18 should not be great enough to cause head 36 to disengage fromthe means retaining it in the desired position. The extent to whichtoothbrush head It) may be moved inwardly toward cartridge 12 may alsobe limited by shoulder 72 at the cartridge end of head 10. Shoulder 72may be spaced fromthe valve" operator receiving member '44 a distanceless than the longitudinal extent of depressions 68 so that contactbetween shoulder 72 and member occurs before dimples 70 contact theforward ends of depressions 68. In any event, the distance the valvemember 32 is displaced inwardly of the cartridge is regulated andlimited by connecting means 14 or by means such as shoulder 72.

Once valve member 32 has been unseated the propellant in the aerosolcartridge urges the dentifrice through web openings 40, past theinnermost edge of flange 46, through notches 20, into passage 22, thencethrough head openings 24 into a position adjacent bristles 16. When asufficient amount of dentifrice has been dispensed the force urging thevalve operator means 18 against the valve member 32 is discontinued.Once relieved of that tensioning force, the valve members elasticity andresiliency drives the valve operator 18 outwardly sufficiently to causevalve member 32 to become firmly seated against the edge of flange 46,rescaling the cartridge.

Understandably the fit and tolerance between the various parts of thetoothbrush 1 are such that the total frictional forces therein are nogreater than the recovery force of valve member 32 in an open orunseated position.

Since the cartridge seal depends upon the connecting means 14 to retainthe peripheral bead, the toothbrush illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 isideally a throw-away unit, one which may be disposed ofafter thecartridge is spent. The combination of the valve operator with theelastic valve member in the toothbrush combination otfers a highlyefiicient valving means in which a single member serves both as thevalve itself and as the means for restoring the toothbrush head and thecartridge to a valveclosed position. So also does the combinationtoothbrush of FIGS. 1 to 4 provide a simple and inexpensive aerosoltoothbrush in which the cartridge itself serves as the handle for thetoothbrush.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 6 is one in which the cartridge isremovable when spent so that a new cartridge may be substituted and thetoothbrush head re-used. There the toothbrush comprises a plastictoothbrush head and an aerosol cartridge 112 secured to each other byconnecting means 114 integral with head 110 and engageablewith cartridge112.

Toothbrush head 110 comprises a generally flat head end in which tuftsof bristles 116 are anchored in any suitable conventional manner. Thecartridge end of head 110 terminates in a valve operator means 118generally cylindrical in shape which is adapted to operate the cartridgevalve in a manner to be described. The end of the valve operated definesone or more rectangular notches 120 through which dentifrice ultimatelywill pass into elongated cylindrical axial passage 122 having a reduceddiameter section adjacent the bristles. Passage 122 extendssubstantially the entire length of head 110 and communicates at one endwith the discharge end of cartridge 112 and at the other end with aplurality of transverse head end openings 124 which open adjacent thebases of bristle tufts 116. It is through openings 124 that dentifriceis ultimately delivered to the bristles for use in brushing.

Aerosol cartridge 112, charged with a suitable .propellant anddentifrice, has a closed end 126. and a discharge end 128. The dischargeend has a discharge end has a discharge opening which is normally closedby an elastic valve member 132 which is displaceable from its normallyclosed sealing relationship to the discharge opening to providecommunication between the cartridges interior and passage 122.

Elastic valve member 132,"as shown, is of the same structure andmaterial as was valve member 32 and comprises a centrally located dome,a peripheral bead,

a connecting web and a plurality of openings 1-40 spaced both from thedome and the peripheral bead.

' ment.

' other.

Valve member 132 is secured in a predetermined position in cartridge 112by means for gripping its peripheral bead. That means includes aninwardly inclined cartridge container end flange 142 and a valveoperator receiving member 144. Member 144 comprises a cylindrical domeengaging flange 146, a tapered connector segment 148, an annular shouldr150, a bead engaging annular semicircular channel segment 151 and sleevesegment 152 which closely conforms to a portion of the outside surfaceat the discharge end of cartridge 112. It is between cartridge endflange 142 and shoulder 150 and channel segment 151 that the peripheralbead is sealingly squeezed and held. The grip is maintained even undertensile forces which would tend to withdraw the bead since the distancebetween the inside edge of flange 142 and the intersction of shoulder150 and channel 151 is substantially less than the diameter of the bead.

The desired relationship between the valve member 132 in the dischargeend of cart-ridge 112 is maintained by a Crimped segment 154 integralwith sleeve segment 152 of valve operator receiving member 144. Crimpedsegment 154 conforms closely to cartridge neck 156.

The connecting means comprises a cylindrical section 158 terminatingrearwardly in an outwardly extending shoulder 160 from which extends asleeve 166 having an inner cylindrical dimension substantially identicalto the outer cylindrical dimension of the complementary portion ofcartridge 112 and having an outer octagonal configuration. However, theinternal dimension of sleeve 166 is such that head 110 and cartridge 112are easily moved and reciprocated toward and away from each other withina limited and predetermined range.

To that end dimples 170 integral with the shoulder 160 are provided onthe inside surface of shoulder 160. These dimples are located at thecartridge neck 156 and contact crimped segment 154 in this illustrativeembodi- They extend sufliciently far into the hollow at the cartridgeneck so that they make unintentional separation of the cartridge andhead very diflicult. However, they do permit separation of cartridge 112from head 110 when one desires to replace a spent cartridge.

In its normally closed condition cartridge 112 is sealed in the samemanner as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. When dentifrice is to bedischarged, toothbrush head 110 and aerosol cartridge 112 arereciprocated toward each other up to a predetermined maximum distance.Limited reciprocation is obtained by the proper proportioning of theparts. In this case dimples 170, defining a circle of greater diameterthan the rearward portion of neck 156, may be moved rearwardly until, ifpermitted, they contact a rear wall of neck 156. However, before suchcontact is made, annular shoulder 172 will engage channel 151 to stopthe movement of head and cartridge toward each As long as satisfactorylimiting means are provided, a suitable friction fit to secure thetoothbrush head to the cartridge may be used.

As head and cartridge are reciprocated valve operator means 118 slideswithin cylindrical flange 146 in the manner of the embodiment of FIG. 1.Valve operator means 118 contacts the dome of elastic valve member 132and begins to stretch valve member 132, eventually thrusting inwardlyfar enough to disturb the sealing relationship between the dome and theinner edge of flange 146. The extent to which the dome is moved inwardlyof cartridge 112 thereby stretching the elastic web depends upon themeans for limiting the thrust of valve operator means 118 justdescribed. In any event it should be no greater than necessary toprovide ample communication between passage 122 and the interior of thecartridge.

Once valve member 132 has been unseated, the propellant in the cartridgewill force dentifrice through the web opening,s through the dischargeopening, past the innermost edge of flange 146, through notches 120 andinto axial passage 122, thence through head openings 124 into a positionadjacent bristles 116. When a suflicient amount of dentifrice has beendischarged, the force having reciprocated head and cartridge withrespect to each other is relieved and the elasticity of the stretchedvalve member 132 itself drives the valve operator means outwardly untilthe dome once again becomes firmly and sealingly seated against the edgeof flange 146. At that point the flow of dentifrice through thedischarge opening ceases.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified means for providing limited reciprocatorymotion between a toothbrush head and an aerosol cartridge. It isdesirably integrated with a connecting means such-as that of FIGS. 5 and6 and may be used in place of the neck-dimple arrangement of FIGS. 5 and6. In that event a cartridge 200 to be used is provided with two or moredepressions 201. The rearward terminal edge of a sleeve 202 is providedwith complementary dimples 204 which extend inwardly of depressions 201.The permissible range of reciprocatory movement of sleeve 202 andcartridge 200 is limited therefore by the forward and rearward walls ofdepressions 201. Dimples 204 as shown are retractible from depressions201 so that a spent cartridge may be replaced with a new cartridge tomake the associated toothbrush head re-usable.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the embodiments of the inventions illustrated and described hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An aerosol toothbrush comprising, a generally cylindrical aerosolcartridge containing dentifrice .under pressure and having one endthereof enclosed and means at its other end comprising a centralinwardly extending cylindrical flange defining a central dischargeopening for the release of dentifrice therefrom, elastic valve meansstretched over said cartridges other end and having sealing engagementwith the axially innermost end of said flange to close off saiddischarge opening, said valve means having a plurality of openingstherethrough located to admit dentifrice about the exterior of saidflange; an elongated toothbrush comprising a head portion at its outerend fitted with plural bristle tufts and a cylindrical valve operator atits inner end, said toothbrush having internal passageway meanscommunicating between lateral intake openings formed through the wallsof said operator and openings adjacent the base ends of said bristletufts; and connecting means mounted over and enclosing the said otherend of said cartridge and including a portion concentrically encasingand extending along a portion of said cartridges exterior axially beyondsaid valve means, said connecting means being locked to said cartridgeand holding said toothbrush coaxially outwardly of said cartridges otherend while positioning said valve operator thereof concentrically withinsaid cylindrical flange for engagement with said valve means oppositesaid discharge opening; said connecting means including locking meanspreventing the toothbrush from rotating relative to said cartridge whileaffording limited linear reciprocating movement thereof coaxially towardand away from the same whereby said valve means is unseated from theinner end of said flange to permit the flow of dentifrice through saiddischarge opening and passageway means to the bristle tufts of saidtoothbrush in response to limited axial movement of the toothbrushtoward said cartridge.

2. The toothbrush combination of claim 1 wherein said connecting meansis atfixed onto the exterior of said cartridge and comprises acylindrical sleeve projecting coaxially beyond the said other end ofsaid cartridge which concentrically encases a cylindrical body portionof said toothbrush, and said means preventing rotation of saidtoothbrush while affording limited reciprocating movement thereofcomprises dimple means projecting radially inwardly of the cylindricalwalls of said sleeve and matingly into elongated depressions formedinwardly of and extending partial-1y along the cylindrical exterior ofthe said toothbrlishs body portion within said sleeve.

3. The. toothbrush combination of claim 1 wherein said connecting meansand toothbrush are of integral unitary formation, and said means forpreventing rotation of said toothbrush while affording limitedreciprocating movement thereof comprises dimple means extendingradiallyinwardly of the said portion of said connecting v means,extending along said cartridges exterior and projecting into elongatedindentations formed inwardly of the cylindrical exterior of saidcartridge, intermediate its ends.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Powell 132-84Ayres 222394 XR Bridges 12820'8 Birch et al. 132-116 Wiener 13284'Silson et al. 128173 Gorman 128173 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.RONALD L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN AEROSOL TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL AEROSOLCARTRIDGE CONTAINING DENTIFRICE UNDER PRESSURE AND HAVING ONE ENDTHEREOF ENCLOSED AND MEANS AT ITS OTHER END COMPRISING A CENTRALINWARDLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICAL FLANGE DEFINING A CENTRAL DISCHRAGEOPENING FOR THE RELEASE OF DENTIFRICE THEREFROM, ELASTIC VALVE MEANSSTRETCHED OVER SAID CARTRIDGE''S OTHER END AND HAVING SEALING ENGAGEMENTWITH THE AXIALLY INNERMOST END OF SAID FLANGE TO CLOSE OFF SAIDDISCHARGE OPENING, SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGSTHERETHROUGH LOCATED TO ADMIT DENTIFRICE ABOUT THE EXTERIOR OF SAIDFLANGE; AN ELONGATED TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING A HEAD PORTION AT ITS OUTEREND FITTED WITH PLURAL BRISTLE TUFTS AND A CYLINDRICAL VALVE OPERATOR ATITS INNER END, SAID TOOTHBRUSH HAVING INTERNAL PASSAGEWAY MEANSCOMMUNICATING BETWEEN LATERAL INTAKE OPENINGS FORMED THROUGH THE WALLSOF SAID OPERATOR AND OPENINGS ADJACENT THE BASE ENDS OF SAID BRISTLETUFTS; AND CONNNECTING MEANS MOUNTED OVER AND ENCLOSING THE SAID OTHEREND OF SAID CARTRIDGE AND INCLUDING A PORTION CONCENTRICALLY ENCASINGAND EXTENDING ALONG A PORTION OF SAID CARTRIDGE''S EXTERIOR AXIALLYBEYOND SAID VALVE MEANS, SAID CONNECTING MEANS BEING LOCKED TO SAIDCARTRIDGE AND HOLDING SAID TOOTHBRUSH COAXIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAIDCARTRIDGE''S OTHER END WHILE POSITIONING SAID VALVE OPERATOR THEREOFCONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL FLANGE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDVALVE MEANS OPPOSITE SAID DISCHARGE OPENING; SAID CONNECTING MEANSINCLUDING LOCKING MEANS PREVENTING THE TOOTHBRUSH FROM ROTATING RELATIVETO SAID CARTRIDGE WHILE AFFORDING LIMITED LINEAR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENTTHEREOF COAXIALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE SAME WHEREBY SAID VALVE MEANSIS UNSEATED FROM THE INNER END OF SAID FLANGE TO PERMIT THE FLOW OFDENTIFRICE THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND PASSAGEWAY MEANS TO THEBRISTLE TUFTS OF SAID TOOTHBRUSH IN RESPONSE TO LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENTOF THE TOOTHBRUSH TOWARD SAID CARTRIDGE.